Chapter 3 · Encounter 29 of 48
Holy Ground
Prepare
Moses is tending sheep in the wilderness when something catches his attention. As you read, notice what draws him closer, what God tells him to do, and how God introduces himself.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Exodus 3:1-6
Moses and the Burning Bush
1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Ponder
- What makes this ordinary place extraordinary? Why might God tell Moses to remove his sandals, and what does Moses' response suggest about how he understands God's presence?
- God introduces himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before anything else. How does this identification balance the holiness of the moment with the warmth of relationship?
Look Again
Did you notice that the bush burns without being consumed? Before God speaks a single word, the sign itself says something about his presence. Fire is not destroying the bush.
Consider what that image might suggest about the holy God who draws near to those he has made.
Practice
Notice how Moses responds when God calls him by name. Before Moses receives any instructions about what he must do, he is invited to recognize whose presence he has entered.
Consider how you ordinarily approach God in prayer. Instead of rushing to immediately to your concerns and requests, take take time to acknowledge who he is.
Begin your next prayer by deliberately attending to God's holiness and presence before speaking about your needs. Take a posture of reverence, perhaps removing your shoes or bowing your head, and acknowledge that God is present there.
Prayer
Thank God that he makes himself known in ordinary places. Ask him to give you a deeper awareness of his presence and a reverence that welcomes rather than avoids him.